PATIENT SAFETY DVD ENCOURAGES CONSUMERS TO PLAY ACTIVE ROLE IN PREVENTING HOSPITAL INFECTIONS

Washington, DC, June 24, 2008 – The life-saving benefits of hand hygiene are the subject of a new patient safety DVD developed by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Safe Care Campaign.

The DVD, which can be shown to patients on admission into the hospital, is modeled after the video airline passengers are required to view prior to take-off on a flight. The goal of the campaign is to teach patients before admission to the hospital what they can do to help prevent the spread of infection and to encourage them to ask or remind their healthcare workers to practice hand hygiene.

CLICK HERE to view Hand Hygiene video

“We are pleased that this resource is available to our members,” said APIC’s 2008 President Janet E. Frain, RN, CIC, CPHQ, CPHRM, director, Integrated Services, Sutter Medical Center in Sacramento, CA. “We hope that hospitals across the country use this valuable resource to educate their patients on the importance of hand hygiene and the need to take an active role in infection prevention.”

“This project is near and dear to our hearts,” said Victoria Nahum, who founded Safe Care Campaign with her husband Armando after their son died of a healthcare-associated infection in 2006. “We hope that this resource empowers patients and helps families protect their loved ones during a hospital stay.”

The DVD begins with an introduction of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) by John Jernigan, MD, a medical epidemiologist at the CDC. It is then narrated by a nurse character named Gayle who talks about the importance of hand hygiene for both patients and healthcare workers.

“Our objective in developing this DVD is to encourage patients to take a more active role in their care by practicing good hand hygiene during a hospital stay and by reminding others - especially their healthcare providers -- to do the same,” said Dr. Jernigan.

“Hand Hygiene Saves Lives” debuted at APIC’s Annual Conference in Denver, Colorado, June 15-19, 2008. Free copies of the DVD were handed out to more than 2,500 Infection Prevention and Control Professionals. Cumberland Medical Center is proud to include a link to the CDC website to view the video. The hospital website is www.cmchealthcare.org. Additional information can be found by visiting www.apic.org.

APIC’s mission is to improve health and patient safety by reducing risks of infection and other adverse outcomes. The Association’s nearly 12,000 members have primary responsibility for infection prevention, control and hospital epidemiology in healthcare settings around the globe. APIC advances its mission through education, research, collaboration, practice guidance, public policy, and credentialing. Visit APIC online at www.apic.org. For additional information, contact
Kathy Howard, RN, CIC, Cumberland Medical Center’s Infection Control Director at 931-459-7129.